Of course, the characters and the setting belong to Tamora Pierce. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter—you made my day, and Rex's day. I've gone a ways forward in time for this chapter—I didn't want to bore you, or me, by detailing every day of Kel's pregnancy.
Midsummer
Dom pulled his sweating horse to a stop just outside the gates to New Hope. "I have messages from Lord Raoul to be delivered to the Lady Knight," he called and was immediately admitted.
Neal came bounding out of the infirmary to greet his cousin, thumping him solidly on the back.
"Kel will be back in a few minutes," he said, responding to the anxious look he saw in Dom's eye. "She's out teaching staff combat to a bunch of refugee children."
"Are you sure she ought to be doing that sort of thing?"
"She's perfectly fine. The baby's not due for another few months, and I've made Tobe swear that he'll run and fetch me if she so much as winces. Besides, I sometimes think that if I were to force Kel to stop training—not that that's within my powers—the shock to her body might send her into early labor."
"It's just that she's been pushing herself so hard lately. I know I haven't visited since early spring, but I've never seen her take a break. I worry about her."
"Well, yes, she does seem to feel that she has to prove her abilities all over again now that she is pregnant. And you have to understand that many commoner women keep working right up until the day they deliver, and Kel's always tried to prove to the refugees that she doesn't hold herself above them."
"That's all well and good, but most commoner women don't spend their days slaying spidren. If she were—"
"If she were still allowed to go out and kill spidren, she would be much calmer and happier," said Kel as she stepped into the infirmary, wiping sweat from her forehead and looking very pregnant. "But Neal wouldn't let me go tackle the lone spidren that was wondering about the woods yesterday."
"Wow," said Dom, "you really are pregnant." He jumped up from his stool to kiss her forehead.
"No, I'm not," Kel mumbled. "I'm just trying to convince everyone I am so I can kill off some conservatives and sabotage my career." She stepped into Dom's embrace and laid her ear on his shoulder.
"Well," he said lightly, stroking her hair, "you're not doing such a good job then. Only one old conservative died of shock the week your news reached court, and he had nine toes in the grave anyway."
"Now, that's not true, it was more like eight toes," Neal interrupted. " And she killed off two. Lord Gerbert died of apoplexy while he was writing a very rude letter to Kel. His wife made sure to send it to her by messenger bird even though it was soaked with drool."
Dom gave a brief chuckle. "Well done, Kel, very well done."
"Yes, but my career is still finished," Kel said bitterly. "Oh, they'll let me keep managing New Hope for a few years to keep my out of the way. But when all the refugees build more permanent homes, I won't be able to find another assignment. I'll be sent home and spend the rest of my life sitting around being useless. I'll never see battle again." Kel burst into extremely uncharacteristic tears.
Neal passed Dom a handful of mint and made a diplomatic exit. Maybe I'm growing sensitive and sensible in my old age, he thought to himself.
Dom guided the now violently shaking Kel to the nearest infirmary cot and sat down next to her, holding her in his arms.
"It doesn't have to be that way," he said soothingly. "I wish you weren't so stubborn sometimes."
"Me too," Kel muttered. "But that doesn't change the way I am. And I still don't want you to have to give up everything too."
"I would, for you, in a heartbeat." He held the crushed mint beneath Kel's nose until her breathing steadied.
"Don't," said Kel. And then, "I'm sorry. I hate loosing control like this."
"It's alright," Dom said. "Everyone needs to explode every once in a while. You've taken on a lot for yourself." He stood up and poured a glass of water for her. "And made a lot of enemies, if the amount of hate mail Lord Raoul's been receiving is any indication."
Kel sipped gratefully at the water, feeling it loosen the burning tightness in her throat as he continued speaking in a low soothing voice.
"But you've also got a lot of friends. Do you think Neal and the Lioness and Raoul are going to let you sit around rusting? You might have to wait a year for our baby to grow up just a little and for things to work themselves out, but you will see battle again. There are a lot of people pulling for you. Queen Thayet was absolutely furious with the King when he delayed three minutes in denying Lord Gerbert's request to confiscate the shield. King Jonathon only took that long in responding because he was trying to hold in a laugh, and she was still angry for days. And you should have seen the Wildmage's face when Lord Gregory suggested that the King should have someone escort you back to Mindelan. He still can't walk outside without having squirrels pelt him with acorns—though that might have something to do with the fact that he implied Numair had fathered your child."
Kel stood up suddenly. "Goddess," she gasped. "Where's Neal? We can't be alone together, people will suspec—"
Dom silenced her with a kiss. "It's alright," he murmured, "I'm here on official business, delivering a package from Lord Rauol." He kissed her again. "And I can't stay long. I have to ride away in an hour or so if I'm to reach the Own's encampment by nightfall." He pushed her shoulders down until she was sitting on the cot again. "I thought I should come though; this might be my last chance to visit before the baby is born." He walked over to where his saddlebags were hung over a chair and pulled several packages out of them.
"If you're sure," Kel said. She reached out and took a soft lumpy package from him. Inside was a woven baby blanket in Mindelan colors and a note.
Dear Keladry,
Believe it or not, I wove this myself. It's something I picked up during my travels as a young knight, although I never was much good at it. I've woven in a few spells for resistance to colic and encouragement of long peaceful sleep. Trust me, you'll need it if you ever plan to get a full night's sleep within the next few years. Thayet's gift will probably be even more useful for a busy knight mother though. Remember to write me if you need anything. Goddess bless.
--Alanna
Kel shook the blanket out and help it up. They were a few knotted threads dangling off it and there was a small hole in one corner, but it was soft and warm.
She opened Thayet's package next. It contained a sling she could use to carry her child in order to keep her hands free while she attended to business in New Hope or rode. It came with strict instructions not to carry a defenseless baby into battle with her.
"Well," Kel said, "I'm not that much of an idiot."
"Good," Dom remarked, kissing the top of her head. "I wouldn't want you to endanger our daughter's life before I've had a chance to meet her."
"How did—" Kel started.
"The Lioness and I have had a few little chats."
"I never told—"
"I know you didn't. She walked in while I was discussing my possible resignation with Raoul."
"I didn't mean for him to know either. I'm sorry I'm such a horrible liar."
"I would have told them if it were up to me. Obviously they've kept my identity secret. They know what they're doing. You have to trust them, Kel, or you're going to drive yourself crazy." He stepped behind her to rub her shoulders.
Neal burst into the room and grabbed a bag of herbs and supplies. "Nessa's gone into labor," he said by way of explanation as he dashed out the door.
"Who is Nessa?" Dom asked.
"She's a friend. We have a lot in common as the only two unwed expectant mothers in New Hope." Kel grinned up at Dom, feeling confident once more. " She knows quite a bit about gardening actually. She's the one who organized the vegetable plot out back."
Dom handed her the next package, a small bundle of encouraging letters from Merric, Cleon, Yuki, Buri, and her parents. She skimmed over them quickly, planning to savor them more slowly after Dom left.
"There were er, a lot more letters, but they were all from notorious conservatives and some of them smelled like rotting fish, and my horse has been a touch lame the past few weeks and Raoul didn't want me to strain her so I was only allowed to carry a select few messages."
"That's good," Kel said. "I wouldn't want to kiss someone who smelled of rotting fish." She had to duck as Dom threw the next package at her head.
The package landed on a cot and began to squirm around. It sounded as though a popular jig was being played just beneath the wrapping. Kel and Dom shot each other apprehensive looks and reached for their weapons. Then Kel reached out with tentative fingers and tugged at the strings holding the package together. With her other hand she brought her belt knife around and sawed through them.
The gift was clearly from Daine and Numair. It was a small stuffed replica of Kitten the dragon that had been spelled to sing and dance.
Kel turned to Dom and asked a question which is common enough for parents in lands with battery-operated toys, but which had not yet been uttered in Tortall: "How do we make that thing stop?"
Dom picked the note which had fluttered to the floor when the package open and glanced over it. "That's enough now, it's bedtime," he pronounced, slowly and clearly. The toy froze and toppled over. Kel reached over to pick it up and put it with the other gifts.
"Wait," Dom called. "Not the tail; it will start again if you pull on the tail."
Kel shuddered and carefully picked Kitten up by the head and laid it on top of the other gifts.
"It was thoughtful of them to send something so multipurpose," Kel said. "When the baby isn't playing with it I can use it to torture information out of enemy spies." She kissed Dom's cheek as she stepped towards the last package, which also happened to be the largest. "I'm almost afraid to open this one," she confessed.
"You? Afraid?" Dom said, and then, "good, I am too."
The two battle-hardened warriors circled quietly around the package, knives in hand. They signaled silently to each other and then sawed through the strings. A large heap of baby clothes tumbled out of the package.
Most were durable and practical little caps and dresses and socks in a wide range of appealing colors. But for a few garments, Lalasa had really outdone herself. One tiny blues dress had the Mindelan owl stitched into it. Kel's favorite, however, was a bright red cloak with a young griffin stitched on the back ( to remind my lady—Lalasa had written—That after a baby griffin, caring for a human infant should be a relatively simple matter.)
"She has a point," Dom remarked, as he read the letter over Kel's shoulder.
Kel giggled, feeling surer of herself than she had felt in days. Nothing seemed as overwhelming with Dom around.
"Tell Meathead I said farewell," Dom told her. "And that I will have him out on the dueling ground if he lets anything happen to you or the baby."
Kel stood up to kiss him farewell. "I'll be fine. Tell Raoul "thanks for everything.""
Reasons to go to a women's college:
The Harry Potter fan clubs might be more accurately termed Hermione Granger fan clubs
The Old Girls network is bigger and more user friendly than the Old Boys network
Thanks for reading and please review. Reviews make me run around grinning like a maniac and then they make me sit down and type.